Irene Lombe Chibesakunda Appointed Board Chair of Standard Chartered Bank Zambia
Standard Chartered Bank Zambia Plc has appointed Irene Lombe Chibesakunda as Chair of its Board, effective 10 March 2026, marking a significant milestone as the institution celebrates its second female Board Chair.
Ms Chibesakunda, who had been serving in an acting capacity since August 2025 following the resignation of former Chair Ms Dolika Banda, brings over two decades of senior management experience across both the public and private sectors.
She previously made history as the first Zambian to serve as Chief Financial Officer at Standard Chartered Bank Zambia.
Her extensive career also includes senior roles at the Zambia Revenue Authority, where she served as Commissioner responsible for Finance, Human Resources and Information Technology, and as Deputy Commissioner for Direct Taxes.
She has also held key positions as Chief Financial Officer at Copperbelt Energy Corporation Plc and within the Ministry of Finance.
In addition, Ms Chibesakunda has contributed to development initiatives, including the USAID-funded DAI SUNTA Project over the past two years. She is a Fellow of both the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Her governance experience spans several boards, most recently representing ZCCM-IH on the Board of CNMC Luanshya Copper Mines Plc until September 2025.
Commenting on the appointment, Chief Executive Officer Sonny Zulu said the bank was confident in her leadership.
“We are delighted to announce Irene as Board Chair of Standard Chartered Bank Zambia. Her extensive local and international experience positions her well to guide the bank into its next phase, particularly as we mark 120 years of operations in Zambia,” he said.
Mr Zulu added that her appointment underscores the bank’s commitment to advancing gender inclusion.
“Irene is our second female Board Chair, and we are proud of this achievement. We believe her leadership will inspire more women within the organisation and contribute meaningfully to the broader national agenda on women’s empowerment,” he said.
